Bellows and method of assembling the parts thereof



Aug 19, 1930. L. J: GRUBMAN BELLOWS AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLJING THE PARTSTHEREOF 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Sept. 6, 1924 INVENTOR I60 Ii%maiz I ATTO EY Aug. 19, 1930. J. GRUBMAN I BELLOWS AND METHOD OFASSEMBLING THE PARTS THEREOF Original Filed Sept. 6, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR Z60 .ffi'rama I 5 0. 5904 M ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 19, 1930UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE LEO J. GRUBMAN, OF BELLE HARBOR, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOVOICES, INCORPO- RATED, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY; A CORPORATION OF DELAWAREIBELLOWS AND METHOD ASSEMBLING THE PARTS THEREOF Application filedSeptember 6, 1924, Serial No. 736,253. Renewed July 14, 1928.

This invention relates to an improved bellows and method of assemblingthe parts thereof and has for its primary object to provide an improvedbellows construction of cylindrical form, such as is used in connectionwith sound producing devices or voices? for talking dolls or other toys,and a method for expediting the assemblage of the several parts orelements of such a bellows which may thereafter be readily arranged inproper cooperative relation with the other parts of the sound producingdevice.

Briefly stated, the essential and distinguishing feature of the newmethod resides 5 in that step thereof whereby a head for the bellows isassembled with one end of a tubular flexible bellows Walloffrustro-conioal form and oonnectedin air tight relation therewith. Thisstep of the method is carried out after a suitable head has beenattached to or connected with the other end of the tubular bellows walland consists in inserting the latter head and the tubular wall withinacylindrical chamber and then turning the other end I edge of thetubular bellows wall outwardly over the upper edge of the chamber walland finally applying a second head upon the latter end of the bellowswall and securing the end edge of the bellows wallto'the circumferaaoential face of said head,

p In this manner, I am enabled to produce a bellows of tubularcylindrical forin with the flexible body wall thereof at its oppositeends surrounding the respective heads and havg an air-tight connectionwith the circum ferential faces thereof. It is als'oan important objectof my invention in one embodiment thereof, to provideal bellowsconstruction of this type wherein one '4 of the bellows heads has atapering circum:

ferentialsurface and is inserted under pressure within one end of thetubular bellows wall which is engaged within anannular ta- 7 peringclamping ring whereby a very tight 4 wedging frictional clampingpressureis produced between said flexiblebellows wall and the inner and outersurfaces of said ring and head respectively to produce an effectiveair-' tight seal between said head and the interior of the bellows. P a

VVitlithe above and other objects in view, a

the invention consists in the'improved bellows and the method ofassembling the component parts thereof, which will be hereinafter morefullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings andsubsequently incorporated in the subjoined' claims. a

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated several simpleandsatisfactory embodiments of the invention and in which similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:Figure 1 is vertical sectional view through a sound producing device orvoice having a bellows constructed in'accordance with the preferredembodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a similarfragmentary sectional view showing a slightlydifierent means for fixing one endofthe cylindrical bellows Wall to theend plate or cap on the casing of the sound producing device;

Figure 3 is a vertical section similar to Figure 1, showing analternative form of the movable head of the bellows and another mannerof securing the fixed end of the flexible bellows wall in position; 7

Figure 4 is a sectional View illustrating one step of my improvedmethod'whereby the flexible cylindrical walls of the bellows is securedto thefixed head thereof;

Figure5 is a similarview illustrating the method step of securing themovable bellows head to the other 'endof the cylindrical wall thereof;and I v i I i Figures 6 and 7 are similar views illustrating analternative 'method of securing'the flexible bellows wall to themovablehead.

Referring-in detail to the drawings, in Figure 1 thereof I haveillustrated a sound producing device or voice for dolls and other toyscorresponding in a general way with the device. shown and described inmy pending application for patent, Ser. No. 542,884, filed March 11,-1922. As shown in said applica tion, the operative parts of the deviceare entirely contained or encasedwithin a cylindrical shell or casing 5which maybe made of heavy cardboard or other suitable material and isadapted to be mounted within the body of the doll'or toy in anyconvenient or ap- 1' mounted.

proved manner. This casing at one of its ends is provided with animperforate sheet metal cap or closure plate 6 and at its other end witha similar cap or closure plate 7 having suitably arranged spacedopenings 8 therein for the ass of sound from the interior-oi Said cw i 7A post 9 extends between the closure caps 6 and 7 of the casing 5 and issuitably fixed in cirailial relation with said casing. As here in shown,this ostis or tabular form and the closure cap is centrally providedwith an orifice 10 communicating with one end of this tubular p Inspaced relation to said orifice, the will of the tubular post isprovided with arcdflnd Outlet and air inlet aperture 11, In the otherend of said post and adjacent to-thelclosu're ca 6 for the r the soundproducing re 12 is suit- ..:Within the casiugfi, a cylindrical bellows"is co-operativel t associated with the tubular W19 This 1 Hows in oneembodiment W isteof n'flexihle cylindrical body wall Jami a suiitblesemi elastic material hash prefamblydm or gradually decreases 1ndiamefi l nircm one end to the other .thnmih As shown in Figure 1 of thedrawin l-idlBB 14 is inserted within the smaller enfi oi the bellowswall 13, the end edge of said'nallbeimig-mrmd over the edge of thediacupontone side face-thereof, as indicated at 15. This dimlror 1mm 14is secured in find relatidn to the bud ca 6 of the casin @and 01 thisImpose I ave shown sai end cap provide with an outwardly pressedportionlfi which aflords an interior circular mend :the annular shoulder17 1 atflm outbr side The parts are very measly in that by 'liorcing thehead or disc 14 and and e of the bellows wnllf'lilceonneicted themwiit,into said recess 7 afitllb cap 6, saiddtosd M: acts to very tightlyclamp the flexible belllows wall between its circumferential millet andthe shoulder 17. --3nFIgnne21ofthedndw' 8,1 have shown alternative stormof this xed end of the wilmnein the bellows is a com lets unit in itselfand independent of the en cap Thus after the edge of thefldtihloibellovts walhhas been turned over the marginal edgeoi-Fthe head14:, a clamping fissile -om'angllwly d'mposed annular flang 194 1; thiscase, the; periphery of the disc lt'i'stalso horses 1 'ngly tapered toco-op.-

eratenwith the 19'and thereby frictihm'lly; bind'mthchmp theflexiblebellows wpllebetwdmtheaedgn face-oi said'disc and said flange. Inassembling this end of the bellows with the end plate or cap 6, of thecasing the member 18 is positioned in the recess formed by the projectedwall 16 of said cap and when the tubular post 9 is inserted through thecentral 0 ening of the head 14; and against the mem er 18, the latter isheld against displacement from said recess as will be evident fromreference to Fi ure 2 of the drawings.

0 the other or larger end of the cylindrical bellows wall 13, thegravity movable air expelling head is secured. As shown in Figure 1 ofthe drawings, this head 20 is of a tapering form, and consists of twonested sections each havin a central opening to loosely receive the 'tuular post 9 so that said head may have free sliding movement thereon.These nested sections of the head each co-operate with the sound outletaperture 11 to effect a proper articulation of the sound in thecollapsing movement of the said bellows head. However, a head of thisspecific construction is not essential in carrying out my presentimprovements, and various other alternative forms thereof might berovided, such for instance, as that shown in t 1e application abovereferred to or as seen in Figure 3 of the present drawings. The head 20is of such external diameter that it is necessary to force said headwithin the larger end 05 the cylindrical bellows wall under considerablepressure whereby the external tapering surface 2101? said head willcooperate with the inner surface of the end portion of the bellows walland tend to distend the same. In the construction illustrated in Figure1 of the drawings, such distending force applied by the head 20 to theflexible bellows wall is resisted by a substantially non-expansibleclamping ring or annulus 22 which likewise is of tapering form andsurrounds the hellows-head 20. The diflerence between the externaldiameter of said head and the internal diameter of the ring 22 is slihtly less than the normal thickness of the exible bellows wall 13.Thusit will be evident that in forcing the head 20 within the end of thecylindrical bellows wall to the limit of its p ovement while thle ring22 is held in a staionary position, t 1e opposed taperin surfacesof saidhead and the ring exert 500m pressing action upon the flexible materialof the bellows wall, and thus produce a substantially uniform and verytight frictional clamping of such surfaces against the inner and outersides of the flexible wall at all points around the head 20.

It will be understood that the fixed head ordisc 14 of the bellows has acentral opening through which one end of the tubular post 9 is engagedand this post adjacent said head is provided with one or more openings23 through which air is expelled in the gravity collapsing movement ofthe head 20 from in the art, a further detail statement thereof isunnecessary in so far as the novel features of my present disclosure areconcerned.

In Figure 8 of the drawings I show an alternative form of the devicewherein the tubular guide post for the gravity movable bellows headisomitted and in this case the end of the flexible bellows wall ofsmaller diameter, is frictionally clamped or held between the taperingmarginal flanges of the two telescoping sections 20 and 20 respectivelyof the bellows head. In this case the flexible bellows wall is assembledwith the parts of the movable head in thesame manner as the bellows wallis secured to the fixed the end portion of the bellows wall wherebytions.

the latter is frictionally clamped and held between the marginal.flanges of said head sec- The reed 12' is carried by the inner headsection 20*. This device is merely a crier, and there is no,articulation ofthe sound simulating the pronunciation of word syllables.

,In this alternativeconstruction, the other or larger end of thecylindrical flexible bellows wall is turned outwardly around the end Iedge of the casing wall 5 and is frictionally clamped and held.thereonby the cap plate 6 extending over one end of the casing. ,No,

claim is made herein to thisfeature as it is fully disclosed and claimedin my co-pending application, Ser. No. 601,725 filed November 18, 1922(now Patent No. 1,597,826, dated September 9, 19245). vHowever, themethod,

of assembling a flexible bellows wall offrustro-conical form with theend heads or 010- sures as shown in] the said issued patentlis claimedin this application, and asv to such subject matter for all statutoryrequirements,

and purposes of priority, applicant relies uponthe filing date of thefirst named appli cation, namely, November 18,1922. r V 5 In each ofthe'xconstruction's above described, it will be seen that the end of theflexible bellows wall is assembled with the movable head and fixedlysecured in air tight connection therewith between opposed taperin'gfrictional clamping surfaces engaging the inner and outer faces ofsaid'flexible wall.

In Figure 4 of the drawings I have illustrated that step of the methodwhereby the smaller end of the flexible cylindrical bellows wall isconnected to the stationary or fixed head, as seen in Figure 2 of thedrawings. Thus the disc 14 is arranged upon the upper endof a suitablepedestal or support 24:. The disc is of greater diameter thanthe outersurface of this pedestaland projects beyond the edge thereof. The.flexible cylindrical wall of the bellows is then drawn downward- 1y overthis disc 14 until the disc is engaged in the smaller end thereof with atight frictional fit whereby said end of the flexible wall is distended.In forcing the disc 14 into the end of the tubular bellows, the end edgeof the flexible bellows wall naturally turns inwardly over the uppersurface of said disc or head. The member 18 is then positioned over thisinturned edge'ofthe flexible wall and pressure is applied thereto bymeans of the plunger 25 actuated by any suitable mechanism or by hand soas to force said member downwardly and thereby cause its annularmarginal flange to exert aninward frictional pressure against the outerside of the end edge portion of the flexible wall of the bellows andthus frictionally clamp and hold said end of the bellows wall betweensaid flange and the After the head, composedof the elements 1 1 and 18,has been applied to'one end of the cylindrical bellows wall,,said headand the flexible bellows wall are then insertedinto a cylindricalchamber26, said bellows head resting upon the bottom surface of said chamber.The inner surface of the wall 27 of the chamber 26 at its upper end hasan annular outwardly flaring or inclined section 28. The tapered ring 22above referred to is provided upon one edge with an outwardly projectingflange 22' and this ring is adapted to be arranged within the upper endof said chamber 26 with its outer face in contact with the inclinedsurface 28 on the chamber wall and the flange 22 of said ring restingupon the upper'edge of said wall.

This clamping ring is'of course, assembled upon the upper end of thechamber wall 27 prior to placing the bellows in-said chamber. The end ofthe flexible bellow-s wall thus extends upwardly through said ring andas shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, is turned outwardly over theflange 22a'nd' upon the outer face of the wall 27 The tapering head 20is then placed within this upper open end of the cylindrical bellowswall andpressure is applied thereto byqmeans of the plunger 29 so astoforce-said head downwardly, thereby causing this outer tapering orinclined circumferential face to coact with the inner surface of theflexible bellows wall surfacesof said head and the, ring 22, as

: will; be enclosed wit/hint gagoutwardly beyond the ring 22 is trimmed,

will be seen from reference to Figure 1 of the drawings. r

In Figures 6 and, 7 of the drawings, I it lhstrate a slightl dillerentmethod of apy g the movab e bellows head to the flex- 5% c' lindricalwall wherein the end of the fiexib e wall surrounds said head in thesame manner as in the construction shown in Fig. 1 but in which the useof a frictional clamping ring such as heretofore referred to, isdispensed with and in lieu thereof, glue or other suitable adhesive isused. In this case, after the smaller end of the flexible bellows wallhas been oonnercttad to the disc 14 which is to be fixed within theenclosing casing, said disc and the flexible wall are arranged within achamber 2dinthe same manner as shown in Figme 5. The'flexible wall atits other or larger end iethen'turned outwardly (M5? the upper ed e ofthe chamber wall and theother be lows ead20 is positioned thereon, [theouter of said head extending upon the part d' the bellows wall engagedriver the edge face of the chamber wall. While a holdln pressure isapplied upon the upper ":tace of t e by a suitable presdevice indicatedat 30, the out-turned end edge of the bellows wall is'drawn upwai-fil'over iheeireq nferential race or the a lipid, 0 towhicha euitll bl'eglueor adhesive indicated at G, hab*'been applied, such adhesitealsoextending the marginal rdon ofthe u perairfaeegor said head. he edgeportion of the flexible bellows wall exr tending kgbnditfhe edgb of thedisc is of sufficient-w h sethat' it may be folded inwisely anddownwarmy spoil 'the'uppersurwe said a willfbegurgieigi awe tatthe'margm iono t 'e ea ieend-of the cylind *tellowssvsuwnne the endedge or diwall is adhesively securedupon the edge suriace andfitheupperface ofthe he v I the. iorego eredin connection with the accompanying,my improves bellows and the new mesh -of 'asserr'iblin g the severalparts" thereof will be fullyunderstood; In so far as Thin" aware,it isnew in *this art to 'arthe flexible cylindrical bellows Well i endoi thesupporeingmll and to then apply-"the bellows-lieadhponthe inner surfaceofi sdidi flexible wall and scour-ea section of said c ylindricalbdlloflt walltta the outer circumferential of'saidhead. "In this. maaiena secure air-ti ht connection may hefleetedrgwhile at the are timea a of the ara expeditiously perand the surplus ending descriptionconsidts end edge nan-ed outwardly over the:

formed whereby the quantit production of such devices at small manucturing cost is realized. It will also be noted that in the constructionillustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, I avoid the angular bending ofthe end edge of the flexible bellows wall and frictionally clamp andhold said flexible wall between only two parallel tapered surfaces ofthe bellows head and the clamping ring. Thus the possible splitting orrupture of the flexible wall at the juncture of angularly relatedportions thereof is obviated whereby air leakage from the interior ofthe bellows is effectually prevented.

In the foregoing description and-the accompanying drawings I havedescribed and illustrated certain practical embodiments of the inventionwhich will be found highl advantageous for use in connection wit soundproducing devices of the character referred to. However, it is possiblethat alternatives for both the bellows construction and the method ofassembling the parts thereof embodying the essential features of mypresent disclosure might be devised and accordingly," I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may befairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention-as claimed.

I claim: 1. The method of closing the-opposite ends of thefrustro-conical flexible body wall of an air confining bellows whichconsists in first inserting a closure head within the smaller end of thefrustro conical bellows wall and turning the end edge of? said wallinwardly over the marginal edge of-shid head and securing the samethereto, then positioning the flexible body wall of the bellows withsaid attached'head Within a cylindrical support and turning the otherend edge of the flexible bellows wall outwardly over the edge of saidsupport, and finally applying upon said out-turned end of the bellowswalla second closure head of relatively large diameter and securingsaidlatter end edge of the bellows wall and said closure 'headin fixedrelation to each other.

'2. In combination, a casing, an air confining bellows unit having atubular flexible body wall and heads closing the opposite ends of saidtubular wall, said bellows unit adapted-for insertion within saidcasing, and said casing having an end wall provided with means withwhich one of the bellows heads is'adapted to be frictionally engaged tosecure said bellows head'in' attached relation to said wall.

3. The method of assemblin the'parts of abellows having a tubularflexible body wall which consistszin mounting'a tapered clamping ringupon the upper edge ofa hollow support, then arranging said tubular bodywall withinsaid support and turning one'endpore tion of said walloutwardly over the inner face of said ring and then inserting a closurehead within said end of the tubular body wall to coact with said ringand thereby frictionally clamp and hold the end of said body wallbetween the opposed surfaces of said head and ring.

4. In combination, a casing provided with an end wall having anoutwardly projected part providing an annular shoulder thereon, an airconfining bellows unit adapted to be inserted within said casing andincluding a flexible collapsible body wall, and means cooperating withone end edge of said wall and with said annular shoulder to secure saidend of the bellows wall in attached relation to said casing wall andeffect an air tight seal between the casing wall and the bellowschamber.

5. In combination with a casing and a closure head for one end thereof,a sound producing device and a bellows within said casing for operatingsaid device, said bellows including a frustro-conical body wall offlexible material, and heads of relatively different diameters closingthe opposite ends of said flexible bellows wall, the said closure headfor the casing having an annular wall Within which one of the bellowsheads is adapted to be forced under pressure to fric tionally confinethe end edge of the bellowsmaterial between said head and said annularwall.

6. In combination with a casing and a closure head for one end thereof,a sound producing device and a bellows within said casing for operatingsaid device, said bellows including a tubular flexible wall, closureheads attached to the opposite ends of said tubular wall, said closurehead of the casing having a part angularly projecting from the planethereof and one of the bellows heads having means frictionally engagedwith said part to retain said bellows head and the casing head in fixedrelation to each other.

7. The method of assembling the parts of a bellows having afrustro-conical flexible body wall, which consists in first inserting aclosure head within and affixing the same to the smaller end of saidbody wall, then positioning said body wall within a tubular support andturning the other end of said flexible body wall over one edge of saidsupport, and finally securing a relatively rigid member to the latterend of the flexible body wall to retain the same in radially distendedrelation with respect to the smaller end of said body wall. 7

8. In a method of assembling the parts of a bellows having a flexibletubular body wall, the steps which consists in first arranging saidtubular body wall within a clamping ring and turning one end portion ofsaid flexible wall over an end edge of the clamping ring and thenapplying a complementary clamping member in cooperative relation

